Pa. auditor: Charter school improperly reimbursed

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's auditor general says the state Department of Education needs to step up enforcement of its own regulations to stop improper lease reimbursements to charter schools totaling at least $2 million.

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale released an audit Wednesday showing that the Chester Community Charter School — the state's largest — received $1.2 million over three years in reimbursements for building that it leased to itself. In a previous audit, DePasquale cited $550,000 in similarly improper reimbursements to six smaller charter schools.

The Chester school challenges DePasquale's findings, arguing that it never owned the buildings it leases and that Vahan Gureghian, the wealthy lawyer whose company originally managed the school, has no direct connection to it now.

Officials in the Education Department did not immediately return a call Wednesday.